The Role of the Game
by Moony11
Summary: Five friends begin playing an RPG and end up facing the reality. Please R&R and don't be intimidated by the number of chapters, they're short
1. Default Chapter

This doesn't take place in any story line; it's supposed to be based off an RPG (it really isn't, I'm making it all up : ) FYI, I don't own Sailor Moon, but I love reviews. You can even flame me. 

"Hey! It's _my_ turn to be Sailor Moon!" Aneresa pouted to herself. They were all so mean, never letting her be her favorite character Sailor Moon.

"Liar, You're always Sailor Moon, it's _my _turn." Eire all but yelled back. They both turned and stuck their tongues out at each other. 

"Don't fight! I've been keeping track of characters on my laptop and it's actually Atile's turn. Of course, I'll be Amy." No one argued with Ima, she was quiet, but knew how to keep things fair. Ima was in charge of the RPG (role playing game) that the five American friends played every Monday night to take their minds off of school. While they all took turns playing Sailor Moon, Aneresa was best as Serena, Eire as Rei, Atile as Lita, Ima as Amy, and Animi as Mina. Animi happened to be late this night, however.

Atile smiled in triumph. Even though they all had favorite scouts, Serena was the most powerful, and the main character, so the friends all wanted to be her. Who wouldn't?

"Sorry I'm late," Animi said, just coming into Eire's room where they were meeting, "I was out at the mall and, you know, lost track of time."

"You went shopping without me!" Aneresa and Atile said at the same time. Aneresa looked deeply hurt. 

"You're just in time, we're about to start." Ima cut in before Aneresa could say any more. "We'll all play the usual parts, except with Atile as Sailor Moon and Aneresa as Sailor Jupiter."

With that they began some serious game playing. It didn't last long. The friends followed the story line until they got to the first monster. The scenario was simple. As usual, the scouts faced peril from an evil villainess bent on taking over the world. In this case, it was the daughter of Queen Beryl, and she was also out for revenge. Monsters and generals worked to trap bliss energy from unsuspecting victims. Not having other people to play those parts never phased the five girls, they enough imagination and zeal to make up for it. Atile pulled out her transform broach and threw her hand into the air. The rest followed suit with their pens.

"Moon Cosmic Power!"

"Mercury Star Power!"

"Venus Star Power!"

"Jupiter Star Power!" 

"Mars Star Power!"

They had the timing down well, having done this so many times, and called "make up" in unison. This time they did it perfectly. Light and ribbon appeared from no where and caught each surprised girl, swirling her in color. A moment passed, but for the five friends, it was a lifetime. They touched the ground softly and in perfect poses, then looked around. Tokyo tower lit up the background and they stood, shocked beyond words. The silence was broken by a yell that was more like a howl. As one, they turned from the sight of the tower to face a monster, half woman, half wolf, just like the one in the RPG. 

Atile looked down and saw the sailor fuku of Jupiter, then looked back up to the creature. 

"Toto, We're not in Kansas anymore." 


	2. The First Battle

Thank you to everyone who reviewed/ will review this!! You have no idea just how much that means to me : )

Ima = Mercury Atile = Jupiter Aneresa = Moon Eire = Mars Animi = Venus

Nighttime in was never quiet, but a wolf-woman sucking up people's energy and howling wasn't exactly the norm either. The thing didn't pay any attention to the five girls, which was good since they were too confused to do anything anyway. Animi was the first to have a coherent thought.

"This skirt is too short. I'm cold and I want pants!" She tried to pull the skirt down lower and found it wouldn't move from its perfectly formed pleats. "Did I just speak in Japanses?" (AN: Yes she did, but that would be hard to write : ) They all regarded each other. Animi's once short redish blonde hair had gone completely straight and the tip reached to her knees. Eire looked a lot more Asian than anyone who died her hair black had a right to look. Ima's at one time brown hair had gone an odd color of blue and was incredibly short. Atile had always looked like Lita, but now she was rail thin, they all were for that matter, and unusually tall. 

"My head hurts! This hair is too tight and heavy!" Aneresa pulled at the long blond, but curly, odango like pigtails. The noise got the attention of the monster. 

"More energy for the master," She smiled that smile only known to evil minions and math teachers, "I'll get a bonus for this one." With that, she opened her mouth to reveal jagged teeth, and proceeded to breathe on them. That is when instinct took over.

"How dare you keep innocent people out in the cold on a night like this! In the name of breath mints everywhere, I will punish you!" Aneresa didn't even realize that she had just spoken without even thinking. The rest followed suit, poising around their new found leader. Unfortunately, wolfy wasn't too impressed. She breathed harder. The scouts didn't understand that this was her attack, she was poisoning the air. 

"Hey, anyone else feel a little dizzy?" Animi asked as she sank to the ground. Ima jumped into action, touching her earring to bring out her computer. 

"Don't breathe! She's sending out pure carbon monoxide in unbelievable amounts." 

"Don't breathe?!" Eire turned to Ima, careful to hold her breath, "Just how do we do _that_!!" 

"Uhhh…" 

Atile had had enough of this. 

"Supreme thunder shock!" The attack struck the monster in a flash, and was repelled just as quickly. "It didn't work!" Atile said in shock and frustration, "let's try the direct approach."

Sailor Jupiter tackled the she wolf, knocking the wind out of her. The other four instantly revived.

"It's your turn Sailor Moon!" Eire said a little impatiently.

"Right!" Aneresa answered with amazing vigor considering she had been kissing pavement a moment before.

"Moon Spiral Heart Attack!" She spun, hair flying out like a helicopter's blades. Ima had to jump out of the way to avoid the lethal hair. A heart grew out of the scepter and crashed into the monster. 

"Nooooooo!!!!" and some howling, were cut short as the heart cracked the monster as if she were a piece of glass. The million pieces were caught up in a breeze and scattered. The heart became a mist that touched and revived all the fallen people. The five scouts turned and ran off into the night. Too bad they had no idea where to go. 


	3. Dinner

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Five scouts ducked into an alley. They detransformed.

"Pants. Much better." Animi sighed contentedly. It didn't last long. "It has to be like twenty degrees here. Look, there's snow on the ground." She gestured to the fluffy not-so-white stuff on the ground around them. "It was summer in America!"

"Never mind the weather! What the heck is going on here!" Eire looked at the other girls challengingly. 

"Calm down I'm sure if we…" Ima's comment was cut short by the sound of Aneresa's stomach growling. 

"All I know is I'm hungry." She headed off in the direction her instincts told her food lay. The rest followed. 

They stopped outside what appeared to be a combination video game arcade and café. The sign read "Crown."

"Wait a minute. 'Crown,' Tokyo, Sailor Scouts…you don't think we've been sucked into the game or something?!" Aneresa looked at the others. If it were possible in real life, they would have all sweat dropped and face faulted. 

"It took you that long to figure that out!" Eire demanded, "How did you ever end up Sailor Moon, she's smarter than that." The other three silently agreed. Aneresa had never been the brightest crayon in the box. 

"Wahhhhh!!! Don't make fun of me!" Aneresa ran into the café. 

"You shouldn't be so mean to her, Eire. She's just hungry. You know how she gets when she's hungry," said Atile. 

"Do we have any money?" Ima asked. Everyone searched through the pockets of clothing they didn't realized they hadn't been wearing before transforming. They found what seemed to be currency.

"Man, it's in Japanese…wait…I know what it means. This is too weird." Animi said. The friends all agreed. They probably would have continued to stand there if a college-aged guy with sandy-blonde hair hadn't come out.

"Hey, anything wrong? Serena's actually waiting for you to come in before she eats. Is she sick?" Andrew asked, concerned. They glanced at each other, the name "Serena" catching them off guard even more than the fact that they were standing next to _Andrew_. They followed him into the café. Andrew was right; Aneresa was sitting in a corner booth with a large chocolate shake and two pizzas in front of her, looking at the food like a starved animal. They slid into the booth. Andrew went back to work. No one was close enough to hear them talk. Not that they spoke much for a few minutes; being a sailor scouts took a lot of energy out of them, and the pizza was good. The five finished it off quickly.

"So, it's night, it's cold, and we obviously have to go home." Eire stated. 

"Yeah, but where is home? For that matter, are we in the _real _Tokyo, or just the one from the RPG/anime?" Atile asked. No one had an answer to that. Ima took a deep breath to calm her nerves and order her thoughts.

"Well, we came to the café easily enough. If we really have somehow mysteriously become the Sailor Scouts, then we all have houses to go to."

"I meant we need to go to our real home." Eire said quietly. Again, no one had an answer to that. Animi looked out the window at the night sky. The stars were blocked out by the light of the buildings, yet the moon was bright and full in contrast. 

"Is it safe for us to just run around alone at night?" Animi was from Chicago, where it wasn't safe at anytime of the day. 

"Japan has one of the lowest crime rates of the developed countries," Ima said to reassure her, "Besides, I think that this is the world of the anime, so we should only have to worry about the occasional bully and nega monster." 

"Then I guess we should go," Atile said, "I have a big test in English tomorrow anyway, and I haven't studied." She flushed in embarrassment when she realized what she'd said. Trouble in English? That was no problem, she was Atile Smith of Rockford, IL, and had spoken the language all her life. What surprised them all was that she had some memory as to the events of where they were now. 

"You're right, we need to get some rest. Maybe we'll wake up tomorrow and find we've just experienced mass hypnosis or something," Ima said. They agreed and left, each letting her sub-conscience lead the way. Luckily, no one was awake when they reached their houses. Five confused girls fell into an uneasy sleep that night. 


	4. Waking Up

Thank you all for the reviews!!! I'm so happy la la la : ) and thanks to Sana Jisushi for the suggestion, I'm adding Rini into this chapter (and Luna)

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Luna looked down at Serena. She couldn't quite name it, but something looked different about her. Had Serena's hair always been that curly? She reached far back into her memory, but something seemed to be blocking it. She resolved to get to the bottom of that later. For now, she had to get Serena up for school. The girl had already thrown the alarm clock out the window. Luna sighed to herself, _the things that guardians have to do_… with that, she leaped down from the windowsill, hitting the sleeping blonde square in the stomach. 

"Ahhhh!! _That hurt_!!" Aneresa smacked the black cat with a pillow. It took another minute for her to come fully awake. Luna glanced at the clock on the wall. By now Serena should have been running madly and screaming about being so late. Instead, she was just sitting quietly staring around the room like she'd never seen it before. 

"Where were you last night Luna?" She asked. Luna wondered why there were tears in the girl's eyes. Her motherly instincts took over.

"I was out with Diana and Artemis, you know that," she said gently, "Is something wrong?" She wandered over to Aneresa who, in turn, began to stroke her soft fur absentmindedly. 

"Who am I?" Aneresa asked so quietly Luna wasn't sure she'd heard right. Identity questions had come up before, but that was way back when Serena had first become Sailor Moon, and then the Moon Princess. Now she was a sophomore in high school and had changed a lot from the whining, scared girl, who had simply wanted a normal life. There had never been a real break between crisis, so fighting had just become the norm. Luna looked at Aneresa with concern. It always worried her when Serena cried this way. She was about to answer her when a pinked haired girl ran noisily into the room. 

"Seerrreeennaa!!!! You're going to be late again. When are you going to…" She stopped short when she saw the tears in Aneresa's eyes. A bell tinkled softly. Diana trotted into the room and looked at the scene. She hopped into Aneresa's lap as Rini closed the door.

"What's wrong, Serena?" Rini frowned as she continued, "And don't tell me you're upset again about Darien studying abroad a semester." Aneresa shook her head and pulled herself together. She hadn't even considered Darien before. She was feeling more at home here than she had the night before. Aneresa had the feeling that the longer she stayed, the more this would be home and real, and the less America would be. The thought scared her. She had loving parents, two sisters, a pet dog…the list went on and on. She had a life, but it was her dream last night that had brought to reality the realization that this was life too. 

"I dreamed the Moon Kingdom was destroyed. Then, I was in the final fight with Beryl and everyone died. I won, but she just kept screaming in agony and cursing me and…" Aneresa stopped suddenly and studied Rini. She was young, maybe eleven, definitely not old enough to tell what she had seen and heard in that dream. She shuddered, then tried a weak smile. 

"I'm ok now, I need to get ready for school." Rini looked uncertain.

"Are you sure you're all right?" Diana asked with the innocent eyes of a kitten.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Thanks Diana." Diana jumped onto Rini's shoulder and the two left. Luna looked at the girl who was under her care. She could see that Aneresa was _not _ "all right."

"Would it help to talk about it?" she asked. Aneresa had never been good at staying quiet about anything for long. She poured her heart out to Luna, telling her everything. Luna cringed at the dream, but then Aneresa said she wasn't Serena. 

"There are five of us, we all live in Rockford, IL, in America. We were just playing, just having fun like we do every week. Now we're, like, _Alice in Wonderland_ or something, you know? And it's only been one night and I can feel myself beginning to forget the real world." Aneresa got up and went to the closet, "The clothes I was wearing disappeared." She glanced in the mirror, "Oh my gosh! My hair used to be curly and I was over weight." Luna gave a start at the curly hair part, Aneresa was right; her hair was now a perfect match to Serena's. "Is Aneresa going to slowly disappear and be replaced by Serena?" She could feel the tears coming again. She had never hated her life, and now she was talking to a cat. Luna was at a loss for words. She was torn between comforting Aneresa, demanding what happened to Serena, and sending her to a doctor. In the end it didn't matter much, Serena's mom came in and angrily threw Aneresa the school uniform, saying that if she weren't out of the house in two minutes she wouldn't get any desert for a month. Some part of Aneresa was gripped with a sudden irresistible fear at this thought. She was out in two seconds flat, running like her life depended on it with Luna hot on her heels.


	5. Souvenirs

Souvenirs 

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Aneresa was late for school and recieved detention. She wasn't alone, though; Ima, Atile, and Animi were all a little off that morning. Eire went to another school, but they all met up during lunch to talk. They sat away from the other students, under a tree. 

"What are we supposed to do now? Are we taking over someone else's life? Are the sailor scouts in _our lives_?" It didn't matter who asked the question, they were all thinking the same thing. There were no answers for such questions. Aneresa wasn't content to let her friends fall into depression. She felt better after talking to Luna that morning.

"Hey, there's nothing we can do about it, right? So, let's, I don't know, go to the mall after detention or something," she looked around at the faces of her friends. Atile and Animi nodded, but Ima and Eire weren't going to let it go so easily. 

"Are you kidding! We can't just start running around in fairytale land here and forget about the _real _world!" Eire all but shouted. Eire had had a job and a boyfriend, not to mention a family that was well off. As Raye, all she had was an old grandfather and a religion she didn't believe in. 

"I was up all night working on this with my computer," Ima spoke seriously, however it was obvious that she liked the new computer, "My only idea would be to try a Sailor teleport." 

"Good, then we'll go to the mall by the park. We can shop and try it in the park after dark," Aneresa said, still determined to do some shopping. It wasn't everyday one got to visit a Japan that didn't really exist, and the chance of bringing home souvenirs was too good to miss. Ima's solution gave the rest of the group hope, so, with spirits lifted, they went back to class. No one even noticed that they no longer looked even remotely like the girls who had come to Tokyo only twelve hours ago.

Eire, the only one without detention, sat on a bench outside the mall waiting for the others. Chad spotted her and came up behind her to make yet another attempt at winning Raye's favor. Eire was lost in thought.

"Yo, hi Raye!" Chad said, startling Eire. She jumped up in surprise and snapped around.

"Chad you idiot, don't sneak up on me like that!" Eire yelled at him. Then she caught herself. Chad was tall and lean, with his brown hair hiding his eyes, but Eire could feel something inside her melt. In the RPG, Eire had always felt sorry for Chad, and usually had her character end up with him. Her boyfriend would constantly tease her about it. Now here was Chad, and she felt she was betraying her boyfriend, yet couldn't control the emotions. It made Eire all the more angry as she fought herself. 

"Go back to the temple! I bet you're slacking off again, taking advantage our family's generosity!" Chad hung his head in shame and walked away dejected. Eire began to feel guilty and might have gone after him if the girls hadn't come from detention right at that moment. 

"Ready to do some serious mall trolling?!" Animi asked energetically. For once, they all smiled and went in, thinking to enjoy the rest of their time in Tokyo. Luna and Artemis followed stealthily from behind. 

Four hours later, an impatient storeowner finally gave up on the teenagers shopping in his store and threw them out so he could close up. They walked away with as much dignity as possible and went into the park. Making sure no one was around, they pulled out their transformation pens. A moment and a light show later, five girls in short skirts shivered by a lake.

"Well, I guess this is it," said Aneresa. 

"It was kind of fun. I think I like living alone compared to having eleven bothers and sisters, humph, my parents probably don't even realize I'm gone," Atile said. She would miss this place the most of all.

"I wish I could take the computer with me," Ima said wistfully. 

"I should apologize to Chad," Eire was too quiet for anyone to hear. 

"At least we got some great stuff!" Animi said cheerily. It was only surface deep, though, on the inside she already felt like this was home. She had wanted to bring Artemis back with her, but he had said no and disappeared to go talk to Luna. 

"These skirts need pockets. How are we supposed to carry this stuff and hold hands?" Aneresa asked. They spent ten minutes tying bags together and securing them to themselves. That done, Aneresa looked around. They were ready to go. Even now she was beginning to miss Luna and Rini…and Darien. Though she hadn't met him in person, memories of them together had started to pop up. The five stepped together and held hands. They began to glow in their respective colors. 

As one, they commenced to speak the words, "Sailor Tele-" 

"Wait! You can't leave!" The glowing ceased; the scouts turned to see Luna and Artemis running toward them. "A nega monster is attacking the Juku school, you're the only ones who can stop it. They took off at a dead run.


	6. So Much Sand

Chapter Five: Life Slips Away

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Atile woke up to the sun shining in her eyes and set about getting ready for school. It was too early in the morning for conscious thought, so she let her instincts guide her. Fifteen minutes, and some caffeine, later, she had her usual double lunch ready (part for Aneresa to eat) and hair up in the characteristic pigtail. She glanced in the mirror as she headed out. Standing at about 5 ft 8 in, Atile remembered a life where she had trouble putting her books on the top shelf of her locker and would have killed to fit into a size ten. She flippantly flipped her hair behind her and strode confidently out the door. 

Ima heard classical music playing in the distance and slowly brought her mind into awareness. She instinctively knew Amy's mother was gone to work already. Ima was always careful to call everything in this place "Amy's" so she wouldn't forget her real life. Every moment spent here erased part of that life, like it was the dream that after waking, one tries to recall, yet it begins to slip away like so much sand. To help her remember the distinction between realities, Ima had taken down all the mirrors in the house and never looked at her reflection. It was those moments when she saw herself that that other life seemed the most ludicrous. Luckily, she had short hair. She went to take a shower. After leaving the others the night before, Ima had gone out to get hair dye to make her hair the color it used to be. She reached to the bottle, but pulled back as though from an electric shock. Amy was beginning to take over. Slightly shaken, Ima dressed and left for school. 

Artemis glanced at Animi as she slept. Was it his imagination, or did she actually snore louder and talk more in her sleep then Mina? He was brought out of his revelry by the sound of the alarm clock. Without opening her eyes, Animi swatted the alarm off and rose like a thing from the grave (not looking a lot better for it either J ). She stared dumbly for a moment before stumbling out of bed. An unreasonable amount of time later, she came to full sentience. Sitting on the edge of her bed, she struggled to brush her long golden hair and suddenly understood why Mina never changed hair styles, it was impossible to do so. The hair stayed as though super glue had molded it while she brushed, yet somehow moved just right when she moved or ran her fingers through it. Unfortunately, Animi had a fanatical side and, just as Mina deliberately had her heart snatched, so Animi wouldn't just let her hair go. In the end, she managed to braid the small part in the red bow – and be an hour late for school. She had a vague memory of her hair being different when she lived in Chicago, but couldn't seem to get a firm grasp on it. As she ran to school through the city, Animi began to wonder if she hadn't just mistaken Chicago for Tokyo because of the video her English class had seen the day before on it. After all, other than living in England, when had she ever left Tokyo?

Rini poked her head into Serena's room again. The girl inside was actually sleeping peacefully. Rini had awoken the night before to the sound of Aneresa's screams. Scared, she had peeked in to find Luna trying to calm Aneresa, to no prevail. She had wanted to go in, but there was something unfamiliar about Serena such that she hadn't felt it right to intrude. Now, she couldn't help but be happy, it seemed that whatever was wrong had gone. This morning, she felt comfortable enough to skip right in. 

She crept up to Aneresa's bed and then smacked her with the cold, wet towel that had been drying Rini's hair. To her surprise, Aneresa just looked at her as if she had betrayed her deepest trust. Rini mumbled an apology and backed out the door. 

Aneresa was feeling especially dour that morning. The nightmares persisted, only this time it ended with a disembodied voice whispering ominously that soon she would be the only one longing to return home. A force unseen had seized her and began to pull her toward a dark abyss while her friends watched as if they were blind to her struggle and deaf to her pleas. Just as she had managed to stop her descent by clinging to a branch that cut into her hands, a young man with dark hair and armor had raised a sword and cut the branch so that she fell forever, occasionally being knocked against the sides of the chasm. All the while, the voice laughed softly and cruelly, mocking her despair, and saying that now she would know how it was to never be able to go home, to be always cut off from all you loved. 

Luna slept protectively next to Serena. She had been up most of the night pensively considering her sleeping charge. Luna felt unduly responsible for her and that should anything happen to Aneresa, it would be her fault somehow. 

Aneresa wandered about her room, unhurried. She got dressed and left without getting her lunch or eating breakfast. Rini had woken her up early enough that she needn't run, but she jogged out of some habit. She entered the school without saying a word to anyone. In retrospect, Aneresa recognized that the man with the sword in her dream had been Darien. What did it mean? She longed for Darien, whom part of her had missed all her life and the other had always had.

The five gathered for lunch. Eire had spent her night consulting The Fire, with nothing to show for it besides, being a little singed that is. No one mentioned teleporting again. Two days, and now only Serena wanted to return. Eire had already made ESP a part of her daily life such that she couldn't imagine being whole without it. Atile had the freedom and space she'd always desired. She had family in her friends and felt needed in a job she'd discovered she had from a message on her machine telling her not to miss work again. She worked at a botanical garden's children center. Animi had finally given up with her hair and found she liked it. Even Ima, though she would never admit it, had lost her grasp on real and imaginary. Aneresa was the only one to not let go. She couldn't, the dreams made sure of that. While her appearance had changed to one hundred percent Serena, most of her memory remained her own, with a firm distinction between the two realities. However, Aneresa was in too dark and pensive a mood to say much of anything. What's worse, no one noticed. 

Ouch, that was a downer. Oh well, next chapter will be better and explain more. The short summary of this would be: only Aneresa really remembers her other life and she's having mad dreams. R&R!!! Have happy day. 


	7. Losing Hope

Chapter Six

Chapter Six

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On another morning, day seven of their displaced adventure, only Aneresa awoke to still being Aneresa. As for Atile, Eire, Animi, and even Ima, living in America had just been a dream, or maybe a conversation they'd once shared. It was certainly no reality. Their old names were forgotten as well. The amnesia didn't stop at them either, somehow Luna and Artemis also had no recollection of anything out of the norm happening. That is, if one considers fighting monsters with power from planets normal. 

Aneresa was at a loss as to what to do. She may have remembered her past life, but she also knew the one she was in now. Unlike the others, she had managed to separate the two. Rini was still concerned about Aneresa. She wasn't the cheerful, although occasionally flaky, person Serena was. Aneresa had tried to make the girls remember. It isolated her from them. The part of her that she now recognized as being _the_ Serena, worried that it was a reoccurrence of the time when Darien had lost all his memory of her and their battles together, not to mention their love. It was hard for her to think about him. Although she missed him, only in part of course, she still avoided his calls and didn't answer his letters. He would be studying aboard for another two weeks. 

Amy, Rei, Lita, Mina, Rini, Luna, and Artemis sat met at the temple. The topic was Serena. They were worried that something was wrong with her. She seemed to be delirious; constantly talking about a life that they knew didn't exist. Rini mentioned the dreams she knew Aneresa had. That sent Rei off into another fire reading. 

"Maybe it's some trick of the enemy's," Luna suggested as usual, "We need to keep a special watch over her. We've had trouble with dreams before." They all remembered what Darien's dreaming had done to Serena and had to agree. 

"We just need to cheer her up, you know, go to the mall and stuff like that," Mina said.

"I could make all her favorite food," Lita put in helpfully.

"And I could help her with her homework!" Amy said enthusiastically. The others looked at her like she'd suggested they try to resurrect the Moon Kingdom. "Never mind." 

"I'll try not to bug her so much," Rini offered reluctantly. They decided it couldn't hurt to try. 

Aneresa sat at her desk and tried to draw. She had been better at it before coming here, which wasn't saying much. In order to rouse the memories of her friends, she had decided to try the "old tell their life stories in pictures" bit. Sighing at her poor workmanship, but not having any other ideas, Aneresa finished her last sketch and went to the temple where she knew they were meeting to talk about her. 

On the way, she met Rini. The pink haired munchkin smiled at her sweetly. Aneresa looked around for the hidden camera. 

"Hi Serena, how are you today," She asked formally and in such a way Aneresa knew instantly that the other girls had convinced Rini she was losing her mind or something, "Do you need any help?" 

Aneresa sighed inwardly, but put on a good, flake smile. Hey, if the world thinks you're nuts, play it up for all it's worth. Or at least she would have, if she hadn't been so depressed. It was as if her capacity for blissful feelings had disappeared. Aneresa had always been a cheerful, energetic person, almost as much as Serena was. The Serena part of her tried to convince her that this was an important thing to note. Unfortunately, the Aneresa side was stronger still and couldn't understand the significance. 

"No, thanks. I was just looking for the girls," She said. 

"They just left the temple," Rini answered helpfully. Aneresa nodded and said she would see Rini later. She walked away and felt depression eating into her. A garbage can rested on one side of the sidewalk. She threw the drawings in without a second thought. A week of sleeping fitfully from the nightmares had left her incredibly tired. Aneresa was now too afraid to go to sleep. She wandered till the day grew dark, but couldn't think of sleep or returning to that home which was and wasn't hers. Again, Serena tried to get her attention, to no avail. 

It was as dark as any city could get by the night she came to the Tsukino house. With resolution, she went to Serena's room and got the money Serena had been saving for video games or college, which ever happened to sound more lucrative on the day she would graduate. Luna had been out looking for her earlier. The others had taken shifts throughout the night to give each other time to rest up. They had covered for her with Serena's parents. Of course, Aneresa didn't know any of that. As she was packing clothes, Luna, who had been sleeping on the bed, woke up. Without thinking, Aneresa scooped up the cat before she could ask any questions, or call the others, and shoved her into the closet. Aneresa picked up her suitcase silently and left the room.

In two hours, she had reached the airport and boarded a plane. One thought was prevalent in Aneresa's mind, go to America and somehow things would magically be fixed. If this Tokyo and her Rock Island, Illinois existed in the same world, then she could have both lives at once, and not have to sacrifice one for the other. Serena didn't protest either. Darien was studying in America. She only glanced out the window once, saying a small farewell in case things didn't work out.

Next time: Aneresa looks for work, Serena looks for Darien. Stay tuned for chapter seven,

"Split Personalities."


	8. Lost With Love

Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

Tokyo

Luna had given up beating the closet door down after a few hours. All she could do them was wait for someone to find her. Luckily, that didn't take long.

"Mama," Diana called softly as she trotted into the room. She didn't want to disturb Luna if she happened to still be asleep. 

"Diana! Please bring Rini to open the closet door," Luna said urgently. Usually, the cats didn't have any trouble with doors; they were quite adept at opening them without help. Aneresa had simply had the foresight to place a chair under the knob. Diana hurried out. A moment later, she returned riding on Rini's head. Luna was soon released.

"What happened, Luna?" Rini questioned. Luna filled them in on Aneresa's departure. Without another word, the three of them left to find the sailor scouts who were still out looking for Serena. They would need to extend their area of search a great deal.

Chicago

Aneresa walked stoically down the off ramp of the plane at O'Hare Airports international terminal. Rock Island, she knew, was still a ways off, but seeing the familiar sights around her and hearing English being spoken with a Midwestern accent reassured her. She'd once come to the airport for a class trip to Florida. The plane ticket had exhausted her resources, both financially and physically. And, although she did feel better now, Aneresa knew that she would have to eat something and rest soon or – she never completed the thought. 

Aneresa awoke in a strange white room. The sterile odor of it identified the place as a hospital. Soft movements could be heard outside the curtained-off area her bed was in, and was the only sign of life. She knew that the hospital would want to know personal information. Having left so quickly, she hadn't gotten a real passport. Her disguise power had gotten her through all the security. Aneresa, hungry and tired though she was, couldn't risk staying. If for no other reason than she didn't have the money to pay for this. She had been lucky enough to be placed in a corner with a window. Crawling out of bed, she was equally glad to see that her suitcase was in the corner, though it had obviously been searched, and that she wore street clothes and not one of those ridiculous hospital gowns. The fact that the window was five storied up didn't phase her in the least; there was a roof near by to jump to. 

In a few minutes time, she was on the street and back to her original problem, where to go now? Aneresa walked around the corner of the large building and toward the parking lot, thinking to hitch a ride out of time perhaps. That when she saw _him_. Darien walked out of the hospital, flipping his keys in an irritated sort of way. Her breath caught. _Run to him you idiot! _Serena yelled at her. Instead, she stayed standing as if her feet were plastered to the ground. However, all thoughts of Rock Island, Illinois faded into none existence. And, even if she didn't listen to Serena, she suddenly knew she would never be able to leave Chicago after seeing him, no matter how much she wanted to find the stability of her old life. 

Darien played with his car keys like a nervous child. Luna had called early that morning, or more correctly, late last night considering the time difference. She had said that Serena was possibly under the control of their latest enemy, Beryl's daughter Amethyst. Even worse, she had run away and they had no idea just how far she had gone. Rini made a charm of forgetfulness so that Serena's family wouldn't miss her. Luna was hoping Darien's bond to Serena would be stronger than all else and would bring them back together. To Darien, this meant leaving his internship at the hospital, but traveling the world chasing after Serena was more important than anything. 

Darien paused in front of his car. He suddenly felt like he was being watched, and, more importantly, that Serena was near. He looked around, but the populace of Chicago formed to a density that rivaled the infamous fog of London when it came to obstructing vision. Still, Darien didn't get into his car immediately. If Serena were there, he would find her. Then, suddenly, he lost all sense of her.

Aneresa wouldn't have moved on her own. She wasn't afraid of Darien finding her, how could she fear the man she loved? That was, after seeing Darien in person, the one thing she and Serena could agree upon. Serena was becoming more vocal now. While Aneresa was the dominant personality, Serena was becoming the quiet voice of reason. Like, for instance, _why hadn't Aneresa ran to Darien and told him all the troubles of her soul when he was part of that soul!? _Aneresa shook her head clear, which was difficult not only because she was about to develop a split personality, but also because she was still feeling faint and depressed. Again, she wouldn't have moved from that spot on her own. The mob that crowded the sidewalks and over flowed in to the streets had dragged her down with it. Aneresa had no idea what was going on; even Tokyo at its worst had not been this bad. That voice called out to her once more that there was something not quite right, and certainly not normal. Aneresa allowed herself to be swept away without struggle. If this was how life was moving her, then she would let it. 

Where is she being taken to? Wait and see. Thank you for all the reviews and encouragement!!!


	9. 

Split Personalities

Split Personalities

Chicago

Aneresa found herself in a subway station. She was feeling faint and famished and wasn't sure how long she could go on. _Baka, eat something already!_ Serena yelled at her. Anseresa was too tired to fight her anymore; she surrendered to Serena, finding a refuge in some part of her mind where she could finally rest. Serena was now in control. It was as though she had been trapped for a long time. Serena looked around in confusion for a moment, not recalling just what was going on. However, two thoughts fought for supremacy. One was to get to Darien; the other was her stomach. The stomach won.

Tokyo

Darien called Luna back. He was certain Serena was in Chicago somewhere. No one thought to question his intuition. After all, should Serena truly be in trouble, it was inevitable that she would go to Darien and that he would feel her presence. It only served to confirm their fears that something was indeed wrong and that Amethyst, the latest villainess, was involved, although they had no proof for it. Rini would take Serena's place in a Sailor teleport to Chicago. The cats would have to travel by far more conventional means. Since no one had any money, Luna and Artemis would suffer the degradation of travelling in the cargo hold of a ship. They would all join up in a week. Until then, the girls would search on their own with the help of Darien. Chicago was a far more dangerous place than Tokyo, so they wouldn't be able to go out at night. Rini had used her P-ball to convince their parents they were on a long school trip. It was a good plan with only a few rather large obstacles. For one, only Ami could speak English fluently. If she hadn't been so apprehensive about Serena, Ami would have looked forward to the opportunity to study a new culture and practice her linguistic skills. They also didn't have passports, so if they were caught, they would have trouble of a different kind. Another difficulty lay in the fact that they had little money and would have to find a place to stay. Darien lived in a very small apartment near the hospital, but could squeeze only two of them into the place. They decided to worry about the last two when they got there. Luna and Artemis begrudgingly entered the box that would be their home for a week. Then all things were as settled as they were going to be. 

Rini was momentarily dizzy after the quick trip. Traveling by time wasn't as disorienting as that had been. They de-transformed and looked at their surroundings. The hospital lay in the foreground with other large buildings nearby. The air was chilly since the hospital was by Lake Michigan and the wind blew from off the lake. Darien, whom they had used as a sort of homing beacon, ran out to meet them. The search had begun.

Serena didn't have trouble finding food. She was so thin and, at that moment, pathetic, that people passing by literally threw food to her. With her stomach quieted, she had time to think. In the back of her mind, she could feel someone else translating the English, and some Spanish, into Japanese for her, but didn't understand who it was. She was still in the subway station and having trouble getting out. The place was a labyrinth. Serena felt something draw her deeper into the place without ever thinking about it. She was about to enter an old abandoned tunnel when a security guard spotted her. He thought she was another juvenile delinquent or was perhaps going out to some subterranean gang hideout. She found herself back outside on the streets. Nothing was familiar; she had no idea what was going on, and couldn't tell where Darien was even though she knew he was near. The feeling that had been drawing her into the tunnel had disappeared, but with it had gone all sense of direction and purpose. The buildings seemed to press down on her. Serena felt desperation mingle with panic. She ran, trying to escape the feeling, looking for some place with fewer people and open air. 

The wind off the Lake was cold but reassuring. Getting over Lake Shore Drive was difficult, but then she collapsed before the beach. It was the dreary sort of day that keeps even the most dedicated joggers away. Serena fought off tears. Depression was a foreign thing to her, or at least, before she had always none the cause. She still had the small suitcase she didn't remember packing with her. With no where else to go, and no clue as to what was going on, she ransacked the bag and pulled out her broach. The crystal inside was a sickly grayish color, which matched the sky. She clutched it to her. A tear fell and stuck its surface and the beach suddenly disappeared in sudden light. Serena found herself half-floating, half standing in the middle of nothingness. She heard the soft rustle of skirts and turned. Queen Serenity - her mother - stood before her, concern etched in her eyes.

"I'm sorry," she said softly. Serena was filled with dread. 

Next time: I think I'll try to end this in a few more chapters. Anyway, for what could Serenity possibly be sorry? Will the scouts find Serena? Can Tokyo survive without their protection? Is there something hiding in the sewer? Will Rini get contacts and die her hair so she isn't so darn pink-n-cute already?


	10. 

Chapter 10: Finding the Truth

Chapter 10: Finding the Truth

Queen Serenity reached out a hand to comfort her child; Serena took it gratefully, like a lifeline. She didn't understand what was going on, but her mother's presence could breathe calm into any chaos. Serenity closed her eyes briefly, collecting her thoughts. 

"I know you are confused, and in part this is my fault. When I sent the people of the Moon Kingdom to earth, I wanted them to have a new chance at life, not be caught eternally in the past, so their, your, memories were erased. Then you were forced to accept those memories, something your mind was not prepared for. You could not abandon that normal life you had come to value so much; the other Senshi had trouble coping with it also, though they hid it well. Luna, Artemis, and the outer Senshi were more ready to receive the past, as they were the first defense. Because the five of you could not quite let go, you unconsciously built a life in another place where you could be everything that you had lost. However, this life, which was no more than a projection of your desire for normalcy just as Darien split to become the Moonlight Knight to protect you, began to develop it's own personality. That life started to have new thoughts and feelings than the girls that lived and fought in Tokyo. Then, that self heard of your exploits and began to wake up, if only just a little, and longed to join in the challenge. Your other self tried to hold onto that life more than the other Senshi because your desire was greater as your responsibilities to the world, not to mention the future, were greater."

"The five of you met together, thinking it was all just a game. Then, for one moment, the desire to be the Senshi rose to its apex, and the two lives joined as one. The other four experienced a short time of struggle, but found the life in Illinois to be somewhat wanting in comparison. They, again unconsciously, erased the memory of that other life so as not to feel any sense of loss." Serenity paused for a moment, seeking to find a way to make this easier for her child. Serena could feel Aneresa waking up. She could hear her differing thoughts, and feel her pain for a life that wasn't entirely real. 

"Then, that life in Illinois, that family, even my boyfriend there, don't exist," Aneresa asked in a small voice, afraid of the answer.

"Oh no, they do indeed live," Serenity assured her, "Only, now they have moved on and, I am sorry to say, forgotten, though they could easily remember again if you returned." Aneresa gave way to Serena to consider this alone. 

"Why is she still there? Why can't I just let go like the others?" Serena asked. 

"The dreams you have been running from have caused you to cling to the security of her more organized and safe life. That was the intent of the dreams," Serenity disclosed with regret.

"Amherst, Beryl's daughter, is the one behind this," Serena uttered angrily, "Then that _is_ why I've been so depressed lately. I tried to tell Aneresa, but she was even worse for it than I." Serenity merely nodded. 

"And so, now you know. But there is still one decision you must make," Serenity said carefully, "You can choose to live that life Aneresa led, it is the same earth as the one you now stand on, however, you must choose, and choose wisely. No one will know, including yourself, of what has happened. Only one life can be lived. I cannot let you continue to suffer through the conflicting personalities. It will kill you. Please take time to consider this, the moment you speak the name of your chosen life, the other will completely disappear, for all time. There is no going back."

Serena didn't hesitate for a moment, and Aneresa silently thanked Serena for agreeing with her. If only one life could be led, then the choice was simple. 

Mawahaaaa (evil laughter) which life will she choose? You never know, if I want to, and am tired of writing tomorrow, I'll choose Aneresa. Then the story will be about the other scouts trying to win and running around like chickens with their heads cut off. Hey, wait! If I choose Aneresa, then Rini won't be born (oh happy day la la la). That's a major incentive right there, hmmm decisions, decisions…


	11. Moving On

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

"Serena." Serenity nodded again, as though she knew this was what Serena would choose, and that it was the right thing to do. Aneresa said goodbye and quietly passed away from all memory. Serena was struck by how little difference there was between this death and the physical one that awaits all people. Aneresa only existed as long as someone acknowledged her presence and remembered who she was. 

"You must go back to earth now. Aneresa will be as though she never existed. I am truly sorry that it had to come to this," Serenity said, regret evident in her tone, "Still, the fight is not over yet, you must defeat Amherst. Be warned, she may not be the strongest of your enemies thus far, but she will be difficult all the same. Go safely, and be well. Remember I am always here for you." With that, Serenity, and the nothingness that surrounded them, departed. 

"Goodbye, Mother." Serena stood once more on the beach, shivering against the wind. For a fleeting moment she felt immense remorse, as though some part of her had just died or been sacrificed. She pushed the feeling away. There was also relief and freedom that she hadn't felt for a while. Her thoughts were clear again and she knew that Amherst had been the cause of her recent despondency. Knowing this, she was able to fight it. What Serena did not, and could not, realize was that Amherst had been using Aneresa to spark such feelings and the dreams only drew out her bliss energy. Bliss energy gave one the capacity to feel happiness and hope. Aneresa had been awake long enough that her bliss energy level was back to normal, it had been her physical energy that had been waning; and a very real depression that had driven her to run away. Much of the details of the last few weeks were still somewhat indistinct and Serena knew they would always remain so. Unlike when she first became Sailor Moon, she had the capacity to just accept such setbacks. Some things, she found, simply were as they were.

Serena walked up the beach. She knew she was in Chicago and that Darien worked at a hospital here. It shouldn't be too formidable a task to find him, not compared to everything else she faced in her life. She was still physically exhausted and very hungry and Lake Shore Drive was as busy as ever. Undaunted by the dreary weather, tourist and commuters made their way slowly through rush hour traffic. A single motorcycle wove its way expertly through the cars as though this was just some obstacle course. Serena stood on the sidewalk debating the best way to cross without being flattened. The motorcycle drove up alongside her and stopped. For a second, Serena worried that this might be trouble, but then the figure took off its helmet.

"Amara" (yes, I'm using the Dub names, so sue me) Serena said in surprise, "What are you doing here?" Amara grinned slightly in amusement.

"I thought you might need a ride." She reached behind her to pull out another helmet and threw it to Serena, who just managed to catch it. "Climb on, I think that semi-truck behind me is getting impatient." Serena got on without another word said. They took off, weaving through traffic again. A few guys driving expensive foreign jobs watched the passing pair in envy and vowed to get a Harley next time. 

AN: I guess that chapter was short. Originally, I was going to end this with Aneresa going, but I think I'll have them fight Amherst. Next Chapter: Old Friends


	12. Old Friends

Amara parked her bike in front of the Palmer House Hilton Hotel in downtown Chicago and they went in

Amara parked her bike in front of the Palmer House Hilton Hotel in downtown Chicago and they went in. Serena couldn't help but look around the lobby in awe. Decorative lights ran the length of the room attached to wall with a vaulted ceiling, a fountain sparkled in the center, bus boys escorted opulently dressed couples, Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" played softly in the background. It was picturesque. It was classic. It was a spendthrift's dream, and it had to cost a fortune.

"Where do you get the money to stay at a place like this?" Serena asked, then flushed in embarrassment for being so intrusive, especially considering she hadn't seen Amara for more than a year. "Oops, you don't have to – "

"No, that's alright," Amara assured her, the usual amusement in her tone, "We don't have to worry about money. We have patrons." 

"Then Michele's here too?" Serena knew she didn't have to ask, but it seemed like the easiest way to start probing for where they'd been for all this time and what they were doing here now. (AN: let's get this straight right now, I don't agree with homosexual relationships and none of my stories will have them. Amara and Michele will be very good _friends,_ that's all. As for the cousins thing, I don't think that matters much anyway. Sorry to anyone insulted or otherwise offended ~_~ Now on with the story!)

"Yeah, we're playing with the Chicago Symphony," Amara said casually, as if it were nothing. "I could ask why you're here, though…" She added pointedly, glancing at Serena out of the corner of her eyes as they headed toward an unoccupied elevator. Serena stopped dead. She couldn't quite recall just why she was here herself…wait…Darien, of course, she had come to see Darien. It didn't sound entirely correct, but it was the only thing that made sense. Amara turned to regard Serena, hiding her concern. Serena came to her senses and noticed there were people behind her that wanted into the elevator. 

"Gomen!" she said to an impatient looking businessman. He brushed past her muttering something about foreigners. It was only then that Serena realized she couldn't understand what all the people where saying around her in English. She had taken a few classes, but languages had never been her strong point. However, what really confused Serena was how wrong _not _understanding them felt. For a moment, she was dizzy and Amara had to reach out a hand to steady her before she fell. They got on the elevator, Amara still holding onto Serena. 

The hallway was deserted on the fifth floor. Serena had recovered enough to move on her own, but Amara watched her carefully all the same. When they reached the suite, Michele was by the window practicing her solo in the piece that they would be playing with the symphony that evening. The vociferous sounds of city life fell away from her as she played. She was so caught up in the music that she didn't hear the door open. Amara, who had taken Serena's bag, felt to throw it in a side bedroom off of the central living area they were in. Serena moved to look out the window and tripped over an ottoman. Michele laughed in that way unique to her alone that doesn't leave one feeling abased. She helped Serena up and they both stood quietly looking out over the buildings. Michele spoke first.

"Have you been to see Darien yet?" 

"No, have you?" Serena turned to face Michele. In the old days, Amara and Michele never made their presence known to anyone. Serena wondered how much time had changed them.

"No, actually we've been busy with the symphony," she lied, but Serena remained as trusting as ever and didn't even think of questioning her. There was another thing that had not changed about them; they didn't go anywhere without a purpose. They knew something was going on in Chicago, Serena just showing up suddenly verified that. "Where are you staying?"

Serena tried to recall what travel plans she would surely have made before taking off for America. The more she pressed the issue in her mind, the more lightheaded she felt until the point where she had to sit down. Michele watched with concern and made a mental note to not ask Serena any questions. She moved to help support her. Amara had come in a moment before and stood silently off watching the both of them, now she stepped forward.

"She's staying with us." Michele looked dubiously at Amara, as if to say _how can she stay with us if we're investigating a disturbance we don't want _them_ to know about? _Amara just shrugged and suggested Serena go lie down to rest. The suite had three bedrooms, one of which they had been using as storage space, not that they had much to store. Coincidences just seemed to occur with this particular pair around, or maybe it was a conspiracy. Serena left the room. Amara and Michele sat down to work out a schedule that would allow one of them to watch Serena at all times, and to decide what to do when the other Senshi inevitably arrived. Where Serena was, they were never far behind. 


	13. Symphony Night

Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Darien took the girls out to a nearby McDonald's for dinner. A day of wandering the streets hadn't done anyone any good. They needed a strategy. Darien had been planning to go to the symphony that evening with a few friends. He wanted to continue looking for Serena instead, but the others insisted he go and convinced him they had everything under control. That wasn't really true since they still didn't all have a place to stay, money, or any idea of where to look. Unlike with their past searches of Tokyo, they didn't want to split up. Given that they were vastly more powerful than the thugs that might hang around in the streets here, they shouldn't have been so concerned. However, no one wanted to find out what happened if they were shot. (AN: I really don't think Chicago is _that_ bad, anyone not having been there might be wondering by now, so again, it isn't as bad as I'm making it sound…I hope.)

After lunch, Ami called all the hospitals again while Rei contacted shelters and Mina talked to the police. They had to be vague and use Darien's name and address to avoid questions they didn't want to answer. No one had a blond, blue eyed girl there, that is until Ami called the hospital where Darien worked. The nurse said such a girl had been brought in and ran away not much later. They left at once to look for clues. Darien reluctantly returned home to change for the concert. 

Serena felt better after a long nap. She hadn't been troubled by any dreams, but she had realized that some part of the reason she had come to Chicago was to escape some nightmares. It seemed to have worked, which bothered her a little, though not enough to dampen her spirits. While concerts like this were usually pretty dull to Serena, she liked watching Michele and Amara perform. Besides, she was still trying to become more cultured so she'd be a better match for Darien. She reflected on how much, and how little, had changed since she became Sailor Moon. At the age of fourteen, she had watched her friends die, her love betray her, and almost seen the world destroyed in so many ways. There had been Beryl, the Doom Tree, and the Black Moon all in that first year. And people wondered why she was so tired and didn't do school work! On her fifteenth birthday, the Death Busters had tried to kill her. After them had come the Dark Moon Circus. By the time they had defeated Galaxia she was sixteen and hoping for a major brake in the action. She had also hoped Darien wouldn't try to go to America again, but here he was anyway. Now she was looking forward to her seventeenth birthday in a few weeks. So much had happened in so little time, it was a marvel that they had a life besides being Senshi. Yet, Amara and Michele seemed able to go on and tonight they were performing with one of the premier orchestras in the country. They had gotten her one of the best seats in the house too, on stage with the orchestra in the small area behind the orchestra where a choir would sit if one was needed, which it was not. 

"Ready to go?" Amara asked as she came into Serena's room. Serena had borrowed a dress from Michele. They were almost the same height and size, though Serena was a little thinner. She was just putting on a few pieces of jewelry, also borrowed.

"Yeah, almost, could you help me with this necklace?" Serena asked in frustration as she tried to clasp the thing for the hundredth time. Amara obliged and ten minutes later, they were all set to go. Amara and Michele had to be there early to warm-up. They insisted Serena come along with them then. Amara wore a characteristic black suit and Michele had a black silk dress. Serena stood out next to them in a cerulean gown. It was fairly modest in style, though a bit form-fitting. The doorman retrieved their car, a BMW convertible. Serena was still amazed by the things these barely out of high school girls could afford. She wished she were that talented. She made a mental note to try to convince Michele to teach her the violin. It had been two years since her last attempt; she _had _to be much better by now, definitely more mature. Amara drove, of course; she took off down the street, driving in much the same fashion as she did with her motorcycle. Michele just leaned back to let her hair fly in the breeze. Serena held on for dear life.

They reached the Hall. A few tourist types where already there, along with people who hadn't reserved a ticket before hand. They were disappointed to find out the concert had sold out weeks before. Some stayed optimistically waiting for a cancellation. The actual performance hall wasn't opened to the public yet, so Serena had to wait out in the hallway. She roamed about, looking at the gift shop and stopping by a bar to see if they sold any food, which they didn't. A little crestfallen and growing bored, she moved to a staircase that overlooked the main entrance area. People of all walks of life slowly filtered through the doors. Some came in limousines, others walked. There was an announcement that people could now come and be seated, so Serena pushed away from the railing she'd been leaning on and turned, smacking straight into some guy and falling back against the railing. That left her off balanced and her heel slipped. For a moment Serena was certain she was going to fall over the railing, then a hand clutched hers and pulled her forward. She straightened quickly and tried to regain her dignity. Serena looked up to thank her rescuer – it was Darien.

AN: alright, you're all thinking, auuhhhh, we knew it'd be Darien, but would you really want someone else to save her? I don't think so. Thirteen chapters, man this is getting longer than I'd thought it would…what should happen next…hmmmmm (oh, and read "Heart of Ambrosia," one of my other stories : P)


	14. A Disharmonious Evening

{sigh}I wrote this chapter and it didn't turn out how I wanted it to, so I rewrote it and also scrapped that, which left the original version

{sigh}I wrote this chapter and it didn't turn out how I wanted it to, so I rewrote it and also scrapped that, which left the original version. I thought it'd be better to get something out then sit around debating which ending was better. All I can say is I hope you like it!

Chapter fourteen

"Darien!" Serena said in surprise, immediately wrapping her arms around him. He fervently returned the embrace, as surprised as she and twice as relieved. After a long moment, when people where beginning to stare, they loosened their hold enough to breathe normally. Someone cleared his throat behind them.

"So, Darien, this may be a shot in the dark, but this wouldn't happen to be that girlfriend you're always talking about, now would she?" A guy about Darien's age stepped out of the crowd. He wasn't handsome in the classic sense and one could tell right away that it didn't matter, he had an ebullient air that made it easy to see past his not so perfect hair and extra weight. 

"Serena, this is Jake, he's also an intern at the hospital," Darien said. He still had one arm holding onto Serena as though he was afraid she'd disappear. Jake reached out a hand, Serena recalled the American custom and quickly shook it. Darien called the other girls, who were carrying a cell phone, to tell them where Serena was. Greatly relieved, they decided this could be a good vacation and headed out to Taste of Chicago. Darien, Jake, and a few other people from the hospital, had seats in the nose bleed section where the steps were so steep it felt as though one could simple fall forward over the balcony. Jake offered to switch seats with Serena, which she accepted gratefully. 

Jake settled down in his new seat, happy to be situated so close to the orchestra. A woman with remarkably black hair tinted green and a young girl with sad, serious eyes moved down the row to sit next to him. The woman looked at him in surprise, then seemed to stare off into space. Her eyes refocused; she nodded in acceptance of this new twist and turned to face the musicians as the symphony began. 

Serena tried to pay attention to the concert. It was a lost. She hadn't seen Darien for so long that she spent the first half simply watching him. Darien was just as happy to see Serena, though more restrained. Amara and Michele noticed Serena's absence and began to worry. The moment intermission was called, Amara cornered Jake and demanded to know why he was sitting in Serena's seat and where she was. Setsuna intervened on his behalf. Still, as the symphony resumed, Serena was in her intended seat on stage. 

The music was played beautifully. There had already been two standing ovations and even the most captious critic was hard pressed to find fault in this. Serena resigned herself to sitting back and enjoying the performance with the promise of joining Darien afterward. Michele stood to the applause of the audience as she prepared to begin her violin solo. She noticed a flicker of movement above the stage. That was all the warning there was before a bird like creature fell from the ceiling to land, wings spread full revealing its intimidating size and feminine shape. These wings took the place of arms but as the aberration quickly demonstrated, lacked nothing in dexterity. 

Serena transformed with celerity, but the aberration was faster. In one swift movement it leapt to Serena's seat and seized her, pulling her arms behind her back so she could not use any of her attacks. That is, except kicking. The creature cried out in pain, never loosening its hold, and took flight. Amara and Michele had slipped off the stage to transform and came back in time to see the creature go to a man floating in the air who opened a portal. All three disappeared, though not before a rose imbedded itself in the bird-woman's shoulder. 

Somewhere else in Chicago, five girls were also having a bad night.

Next chapter's going to be better. (finals are this week, I can't believe I'm writing instead of studying : ()


	15. Altercations

Chapter 15

Chapter 15

"I want to go back to Water Tower Place and get that shirt before we head back!" Mina called behind her as she ran toward the affluent mall. They had been running up and down Michigan Ave. since discovering that was where all the best stores were. Rei, Ami, and Lita raced to catch up. Rini was next to Mina racing down the sidewalk. They made it to the mall, but found it was already closed. Mina walked away dejectedly.

"Come on Mina, you know if you'd gotten the shirt you would've spent the last of your money and we haven't even eaten yet!" Rei told her. Mina sobered up at this. She was right, of course, they shouldn't have spent so much, but everyone thought they would be returning to Tokyo as soon as they collected Serena back at Darien's apartment. She felt sorry for the cats who would land only to be sent back out again. They had had a good time out shopping together, though their group seemed incomplete without Serena. 

They reached the entrance to the subway station. It was conveniently located next to Subway. After joking about the name, they decided to eat there. Ami had to order for everyone. The server spoke with a heavy Spanish accent, and Ami was the only one nearly fluent in English. Still, it was a strange thing to hear these people from two very different places meet on the common ground of a language not their own. It was late by the time they left. The symphony would have just gotten out. Since Chicago doesn't ever really get dark, it was still light outside, though there were no stars or moon. The streetlights threw long shadows and the girls all but ran to the cover of the subway tunnel. It was oddly deserted, no one was even in the ticket booth. 

"Look over there. That sign says the tunnel's closed for repairs," Ami said as she pointed to the sign.

"That's weird, we came here using this tunnel, right?" Lita asked, looking around at the others. They felt uneasy. The tunnel was even darker than the street had been. Then the lights went out.

"I sense an evil presence here!" Rei called to her friends.

"Everyone transform!" Mina ordered. Their transformation cast a quickly fading light, but gave them enough time to see they were in trouble. Without a word, they moved to encircle and protect Rini. They were surrounded by negamonsters. 

Serena continued to struggle as the creature flew. The general raged on about what he would do to "cape boy" when he got him. The rose had imbedded itself deep in his shoulder and had forced him to come out of the portal before reaching their destination. He landed awkwardly on the ground and began to pull the deceptively beautiful flower from his shoulder. The creature followed suit. It was all the opportunity and distraction Serena needed to twist herself enough to kick the creature solidly in the stomach. The bird woman doubled over in pain, but recovered quickly. Serena had about two seconds to plan her next move: flight or fight. She chose to fight. 

They were next to a large fountain. Couples out for a romantic walk stood in shock as they looked upon a creature only seen in fiction. A few ran, but more were just curious. Serena looked around at them and tried to remember an English phrase for "run." She couldn't think of any. Standing as regally as possible considering how sore her shoulder was from the flight, Serena prepared the usual speech. Bird-woman didn't give her the chance. She came on fast and hard. It soon became apparent her only attack was to beat Serena to death by ramming into her. Unfortunately for the yoma (AN: is that spelled correctly??) , it was damaging her more than Sailor Moon. The general was being tended by a passing doctor and didn't bother the combatants in the least. 

Sailor Moon jumped to avoid the creature and nearly fell into the fountain, splashing a little water on the thing as she did so. It screamed in agony. 

"Great, where's Mercury and Neptune when I need them?" she said under her breath, dodging another attack. The yoma crashed against the fountain. Sailor Moon took advantage of its temporary daze to spring into the fountain, kicking water up at the creature. It flapped its wings madly, desperate to get the water off. Serena pulled out her scepter, spun, and killed the thing with a giant heart that shattered it into a billion pieces like a mirror ran over by a semi truck. The doctor had finished tending to the general's shoulder by then. Sailor Moon heard someone clapping and found the general with a large smirk on his face.

"Bravo, one more point for the senshi," he said dryly. The general had long red hair, somewhat reminiscent of Molly's. His uniform was the same as that worn by Beryl's generals. "But, alas, I must leave now," he flashed what can only be called an evil grin and gave a small bow as he said, "Adieu." Sailor Moon stared at the spot he had just let, wondering what the purpose was of abducting her only to leave her stranded. Most of the people had vacated the area, so Serena didn't have trouble finding a place to de-transform. It was dark out to the point of being ominous. She set out across the grassy park wondering for the second time that day which way she should go.

Question: Should I just write until everyone's completely bored with the idea, or plan out a definite ending???


	16. Subway

Chapter 16

He he, I guess it has been awhile, but I just haven't felt inspired to write recently. Don't worry, I'll write more soon.

Chapter 16

"You stood here and watched her be taken away!!" an angry Amara yelled at Setsuna. Sailors Neptune and Uranus had appeared just in time to watch Serena being abducted. Setsuna didn't so much as flinch, quite the opposite. Her expression turned cold, almost condescending. However, her eyes betrayed the difficulty of her eternal task. Michele placed a hand on Amara's shoulder to try and placate her. Setsuna stood regally with a constant air of dignity about her. 

"Serena will be fine, as long as she doesn't get involved in this fight," Setsuna gave her comrades a knowing look. Amara immediately understood, as did Michele. They had played this game before, keeping the other senshi out of the fight because they thought it was too difficult for them. Never mind that they were wrong. Everyone has their blind spots. Setsuna turned to Darien, "We'll split up. You should go find Serena. We will look for the disturbance in the city." Darien agreed, but made them promise to meet up with him later on. With that said, he left, allowing his sixth sense lead the way. 

"What is it this time?" Michele asked tiredly, after all, she had been about to play her first solo with the symphony. Her words echoed strangely in the hall that had been evacuated when the monster appeared. The police, and animal control, were on their way. 

"Beryl's daughter, Amethyst, wants the princess dead. She's just a child being controlled by a few of Beryl's more resilient followers," Setsuna answered. They understood why Serena shouldn't be caught up in this new mess. She didn't quite have the same outlook that others did when someone was trying to kill them. Serena would literally die trying to save the enemy before giving in or up. Obviously, as far as the senshi, and Darien, were concerned, that couldn't be allowed to happen. 

"Where do we start looking?" Amara queried.

"The subway," Hotaru spoke for the first time that evening. She was the same age as Rini, maybe around eleven. Setsuna and Hotaru transformed. 

"I'm going after Serena," Darien announced. No one tried to stop him from leaving; Darien chasing after Serena was as natural and expected as the sun rising.

"Then that leaves the subway to us," Setsuna interjected into the silence as Darien left. With that said, they took off running.

"This isn't working!" Mars yelled as she attacked the nearest monster, killing it. "There are just too many of them!" She narrowly dodged a blast. The scouts had to stay close to Rini to protect her, and it was wearing them down to do so. All five girls were bruised and bleeding. Thus far, they had been able to keep a five foot radius between them and the youma, but they had gradually been forced down the tunnel. The light of the attacks was the only illumination. 

"Serena, please come in! Come on Serena!" Rini kept trying the communicator at every available moment. She was losing hope quickly. 

"Rini is that you!?" Serena's voice came through, though it was difficult to here in the midst of the battle. 

"Serena, we could use a little help here!" 

"Don't worry I'm coming. Hold on." Serena could feel the danger her friends were in. She let that feeling of urgency guide her to them. A dark figure dropped out of the sky behind her. Serena turned to face the new threat, knowing she couldn't stop for long or else her friends were lost.

Chapter 17

"Darien!"

"Serena!" The love birds kissed briefly, but knew that time was precious and not to be wasted, especially not when their daughter was in danger. As they passed the Subway fast food place Serena's stomach growled in protest, for once she paid it no mind. They plunged into darkness. 

"I don't feel them anymore." Worry was evident in her voice. Sailor Moon flipped open her communicator and showed it shakily to Tuxedo Mask.

"Just static," he said.

"What does that mean?" Serena was afraid, but only for her friends – and daughter. 


	17. Regroup

Drat, I accidentally put chapter 16 up twice

Drat, I accidentally put chapter 16 up twice. That's the second time I've done that! Sorry to anyone momentarily confused. Here's the _real_ chapter 17.

Chapter 17

"Darien!" Serena embraced the cloaked figure, who returned the hug. "We have to stop meeting like this or I'm going to have a heart attack."

"The outers have already gone to the subway," Darien said, skipping the usual pleasantries.

"Is that where Rini and the others are? She called and said they were in trouble, I was just going after them." With that said, Serena began to run again, letting that same feeling of danger guide her. Darien fell into step quickly. 

"Too bad the buildings are so high, otherwise we could jump. It would be faster." Darien glanced up in regret. Fifteen minutes later, they stood arm in arm outside the subway tunnel. Without hesitation, they hurried down into the darkness.

"It's too quiet down here," Amara commented in concern, "Shouldn't we have been attacked by now if this is the enemy's base?"

"Don't complain," Michele answered her dryly, "Or else you'll get what you asked for." Hotaru froze beside them.

"Too late!" A blast of energy whizzed by, and without warning the four outer senshi were surrounded. Sailor's Pluto, Neptune, Uranus, and Pluto were thrown into a battle where the enemy came from everywhere and was invisible in the dark tunnel. Fortunately, the youma had just as much trouble seeing and occasionally killed each other. Still, after twenty minutes and no end in sight, they were beginning to wonder if the point of the exercise weren't just to tire them out. 

"We're being pushed further into the tunnel!" Amara yelled, pulling her sword out of another creature.

"Well what do you propose we do about it?!" a worn-out and frustrated Michele yelled back sarcastically. 

"Moon Spiral Heart Attack!!!" Flying pigtails took out two more monsters. The tunnel was temporarily lit up, enough to reveal Sailor Moon in her crouched position after her attack, being supported by Tuxedo Mask to add extra energy. A heart the size of a large semi spread out to shatter any creature that it touched before dispersing into nothingness.

"Sailor Moon!" called four surprised soldiers, with a few belated, "Tuxedo Mask!" 

"We have to hurry," Serena urged the group after a quick hug. 

"First, we must be able to see," put in the ever-rational Sailor Pluto. She snatched up a large stick she'd seen when Sailor Moon attacked and set it on fire with a weak "Pluto Deadly Scream." 

"I'll hold it. The rest of you might set your hair on fire," Amara joked as she took the torch. Sailor Uranus took the lead. The group naturally formed a protective circle around Serena. 

"How far do you think we have to go before –" Sailor Moon's question was cut short by the sound of evil laughter. "Never mind…"


End file.
